


May I Have This Dance?

by girlygirl189



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Avengers Family, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, One Shot, Sad Ending, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Self-Sacrificing Steve Rogers, Short One Shot, Spoilers, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 10:16:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18636124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlygirl189/pseuds/girlygirl189
Summary: What if the final battle went a different way? This is an Avengers: Endgame AU for the end of the movie.*****this has some spoilers for Endgame but it is a canon divergence fic so read at your own warning*****





	May I Have This Dance?

**Author's Note:**

> I really loved Endgame and I thought it was incredible, and I understood why Tony Stark died at end. The MCU would not make as much sense if he stayed alive because Tony Stark could never retire. That being said, I really feel like Cap should have sacrificed himself at the end because that is what he does. It makes me very sad that Cap didn't die because even though I love him (as an actor and as a character) I feel like him dying would have been a more fitting end to his story. This is my first work so please be kind (but honest) about it!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, Marvel and Disney do.

Steve Rogers couldn't feel anything. His mind was in overdrive, to his left Tony Stark, his brother, was lying in the dirt. He knew that Tony could not be the one to do this, Tony was finally happy, he had a daughter, someone to go home to after every battle, hell he didn't even want to fight this war to begin with. Steve knew what he had to do. He has to get the stones back to save everyone. He had lost so much already, this was just one more sacrifice for the greater good.

He took the thruster off of the iron man suit and went to confront Thanos. Thanos pushed him away with all of his force, but not before Steve could steal back all six of the infinity stones. As Thanos snapped his fingers, nothing happened. That is when everyone could see Captain America, the man from a different time, holding the thruster with the infinity stones lined up. In that moment time stood still, Steve knew exactly what was going to happen. He couldn't let Thanos get those stones again. So he embraced the power rushing through his arm and used all of his strength to snap his fingers.

Everything around the Avengers disappeared. All of Thanos's armies were gone. Steve had never felt more at peace in his entire life as he slumped to the ground, laying against a piece of debris surrounded the scene. Tony ran to him, realizing what he had done.

"Why did you do it Steve," Tony said while looking at his friend, choking back tears. Tony was trying to avoid looking at Steve's mangled and bloody arm caused by him snapping his fingers.

"You have a family, you have Morgan. I cannot let you throw that away for this." Steve replied, his eyes looking distant and far away.

"I am so sorry my friend, for everything." Tony confesses.

"No I am, for hurting you by not being there to help you and for not telling me the truth about everything. Please forgive me." Steve managed to say.

Tony started to cry, he buried his head in his hands. Just as he did that, Wanda appeared next to Steve. She touched his face lightly, hoping to absolve some of his pain. It was clear in his composure that it helped.

"Thank you so much," Wanda whispered, "For being my brother, for always believing in me and for saving me."

She probably would have said more, but just then Bucky and Sam came running to him, gently pushing Wanda out of the way. Both of them looked at him with such sadness and sorrow, their brother was dying in front of their faces. Steve first slightly turned his head, heavy on his shoulders, to Sam, who took off his Falcon goggles to reveal blood-shot eyes.

"I want you to have this," Steve said with a wavering voice. In front of Sam was Captain America, weakly holding out part of his broken down the middle, dirty, mud and blood-stained shield using his good arm.

"Please, take it." Steve trembled. Sam carefully, so he wouldn't hurt his friend, took the broken shield with a shaky hand.

"I won't let you down Steve. I Promise on my life." Sam said with a throb in his chest. Steve relaxed a little and sagged harder against the debris he was against. He looked around at his friends, no his family, then turned to face Bucky.

"Steve, you self sacrificing idiot. Why would you do this? I NEED YOU." Bucky sobbed while holding his hand. Bucky could feel the light leaving his best friend's body. He just looked so tired.

"Buck, can I please go?"

This was the point where James Buchanan Barnes broke. He knew exactly what Steve Rogers, his best friend, meant when he said these words, he was saying goodbye. Bucky had always looked after Steve, especially when they were younger. Now he was asking the biggest question of all, would he be okay if Steve died. What was Bucky supposed to say to these words? No? His best friend was in pain. He was ready to leave this Earth, he was long past his time.

"If it makes you happy, buddy." He replied with a pained smile.

Steve looked up at the ash ridden sky above them. Then back at the battlefield straight in front of them, it was like he was looking through his friends, like they are transparent. 

"I see her," Steve said breathlessly with glossy eyes. "I see Peggy and she looks beautiful in that dress."

"What do you mean Steve?" Bucky cried. 

"She looks so beautiful Bucky. She's holding out her hand for me to grab. I want to go get it." Steve said, as exhaustion took over his body. 

Just then Steve slumped against the debris, eyes wide open, but not in fear. He looked peacefully up at the sky. Tony quickly put two fingers to his neck, desperate to find a pulse, even though he knew there would not be one. After searching for a minute, Tony leaned back and started to cry. Wanda gently closed his eyes, with tears spilling from her own onto his face. She kissed him again on the forehead and laid him gently on the ground. 

"He should not be remembered as someone who died in pain" Wanda says, with tear streaks apparent through her dirt stained face.

More heroes circled around Steve to pay their respects and to look at the man who saved them all. Everyone cried as they saw the arm that wielded all six infinity stones, the arm that stopped the fighting.

Tony cried "It should've been me Steve, why did you do this?!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost as though Peggy was calling to him from across the field. Just then Steve heard her voice.

"You know Steve, we never did get to dance together. So, may I have this dance Steve Rogers?" She said while holding her hand out for him to take.

And in that moment it was as though a massive weight had been lifted off of Steve's shoulders. He felt lighter than he ever had before. Steve stood up very gently, but it did not pain him. It was like an out of body experience for him. He walked across the battlefield, almost as though he were walking on air, and took her hand. 

Suddenly, he was back in his military uniform, not his Captain America outfit and he was standing in the middle of a jazz bar, like one of the one's he frequented back in the day. Steve felt his arms on the shoulder and on the waist of the person in front of him, Peggy, it was Peggy, the only woman he truly ever loved. Even in the dim lighting of the bar, he could make out her features anywhere. She then smiled at him and lightly touched his face as they gently swayed back and forth to the music of the band performing in the corner.

"I found you. I can't believe that it is really you." Steve quietly exclaimed. He looked back for a moment to soak in the surroundings, when he saw the battle scene and the aftermath from the battle with Thanos. Steve turned to look at Peggy, then back at the battle scene. He could see everyone there, all of his friends and family, Tony, Wanda, Sam, Bucky and many more, crammed in a circle around his body slumped against the piece of metal. Steve knew he could never go back, that was not his destiny. He never asked to be woken up from the ice, Steve knew he was a man from the wrong time. Then he turned to back to Peggy and kissed her with the passion of a thousand suns, something he had been desperate to do for decades. Steve was at peace for the first time since thinking he was going to land in the ice back in the 40s.

"This," he says, holding her face while looking into her soft eyes, "This is my happy ending."

**Author's Note:**

> This is very bad but I had to get it off of my chest. Thank you so much for reading this!


End file.
